13 Ways You’re Destroying Your Transmission Without Realizing It
The transmission is one of the most important components of any car. Without it, we can’t go anywhere, so looking after it and not abusing it are among the most important parts of owning a car.
But are we damaging our transmissions without realizing it? We might just be, and in this list, we will detail some of the factors behind transmission damage that we might not know about. Some, such as overrevving, are apparent, but others are much more obscure.
Never Changing The Transmission Fluid

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Cars are vastly different from what they were around 50 years ago, so changing fluids in your transmission does not have to happen as regularly. However, despite this, it is still recommended to do so at least once in the vehicle’s lifetime.
The standard advice used to be to flush the transmission fluid after 50,000 miles, but things have changed since then. It’s a moving target, but it is still good to do it at least once.
Abruptly Stopping All The Time

Fast starts can damage various car components, and the same is true of abruptly slowing down. The force of an emergency stop can send vibrations through certain elements, and this could go via the transmission.
Sudden stops can also increase the wear on components, requiring them to be replaced much more quickly. The best thing to do is to bring your car to a stop gently.
Changing Gears As You Brake

Another thing that might cause some wear and tear to your transmission is changing down the gears as you brake. It’s easy to do and can help you slow down, but you have to do it at the right time.
Do it too soon, and you could find yourself downshifting at very high revs, which will simply increase the wear and tear on the transmission and associated components. You could also damage the clutch, and it might even lead to clutch failure.
Holding Down The Clutch While In Gear

Holding down the clutch when in gear is one of the worst things you can do in a car. If you do it on the move, you will be ‘coasting,’ which will reduce your control of the vehicle and could impact how well the car can stop. It will also lead to increased speed downhill.
Doing so with the car stationary can cause extensive damage to the clutch and potentially allow it to slip. The throw-out bearing may suffer from excessive wear, leading to some major difficulties in changing gears later on.
Abusing The Shifting

Films such as the Fast and Furious franchise have shown that shifting gears quickly looks cool. However, while it might look good, this is not something we can recommend due to the damage it might do to the transmission.
Some are more robust, but regular transmissions will perform best with care and smooth shifting, not savage and aggressive jumps through the gears. Otherwise, you are adding unnecessary wear to the transmission.
Overheating The Transmission

This might sound difficult to do, but it is absolutely possible to overheat your transmission. Doing so can vastly reduce its life expectancy, and there are multiple situations in which this might occur.
Heavy towing, hot climates, and aggressive driving can all contribute to overheating transmissions. As the temperature rises, the transmission fluid can begin breaking down, and that can make things even worse.
Ignoring Transmission Problems

Sometimes, if we have a relatively minor transmission problem or feel something only slightly wrong with our cars, we ignore it. However, if we do start to ignore these problems, they could become much, much worse.
This one is all about common sense. If you feel something is wrong with your car and it is acting weirdly, then it is best to get it looked at by a garage or dealership. Booking the car for servicing should be step one, and doing so will avoid any more serious problems down the line.
High Revs As You Launch

This one is obvious, but it’s something you can easily forget, especially if you like to give your car a bit of ‘welly’ when driving. Higher revs can damage the engine and transmission and rapidly accelerate wear and tear.
This ties into the Fast and Furious style shifting we touched on earlier and how it can lead to serious damage in the future. Not every car is built to rev up to the redline or to launch off the line aggressively.
Towing More Than Your Car Can Handle

Not every vehicle needs to be towed, but for some, such as a pickup truck or SUV, it can be a crucial part of the puzzle. Trucks are often able to haul heavy loads of several thousand pounds, but there is always a risk you will overdo it.
If you are ever tempted to haul a load higher than what the owner’s manual and manufacturer recommend, don’t. Towing large loads always puts enormous strain on the transmission, which can lead to overheating issues and damage later on.
Running Low On Transmission Fluid

While you should check up and change your transmission fluid sparingly, there is always a danger it will get to a low point eventually. Low transmission fluid means the gears and transmission itself will not be adequately lubricated, causing them to grind together and wear even more quickly.
This will then lead to further overheating and might also lead to a complete failure of your vehicle’s transmission. Keeping the fluid topped up will ensure the transmission is lubricated and cool and minimize wear and tear.
Don’t Shift Into Reverse On The Move

This is a big no-no. Shifting into reverse while moving or moving forward can cause serious problems, even more so if you are moving at a reasonable speed of 20 mph or so in forwards, with the revs skyrocketing as you slam the vehicle into reverse.
The problem is exasperated in an automatic car, and forcing the car to change into reverse gear can cause the teeth inside the gears to grind and cause major damage. Never, ever shift into reverse while driving an automatic vehicle.
Not Using The Handbrake When Parked

It can be tempting to leave the handbrake down and use just the P to park an automatic transmission vehicle on the center console. However, doing so will add extra stress to the parking gear, which locks the transmission’s output shaft to prevent the wheels from turning.
If you engage the handbrake as well as this parking gear, it will take a massive load off the gear, and both will work together to keep your vehicle stationary. This is one of the best ways to look after your transmission.
Shifting Into Park While Moving

Just like you shouldn’t go from reverse to forwards and vice versa while on the move, the same is true of going into the park while rolling. When engaging in the park, the gear slots itself into the ridge machined on the output shaft to stop it from turning.
If you do this while on the move, the grind could cause the rotating output shaft to break, and if it does, you are looking at a severe transmission repair bill. Not to mention, you can no longer engage park when you leave your car and will rely solely on the handbrake instead.